Are "larger tires" really a fairly recent thing?

[PBCounty]

I've seen it mentioned on here as well as other forums that larger tires are relatively new on the scene, as in last couple decades (as in, 32" used to be considered large). Is that really the case? I grew up off-road in an off-roading community in South Florida where 44" was pretty damn common - but it's all mud / swamp / some sand. I didn't have YouTube back then to compare other areas of the world, but I just assumed that larger tires were common everywhere.

Sponsored

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

Just Florida and Texas back in the day.

I don't recall 32s being considered big, but 35s were big back around 2000. It took some work to get 37s on a TJ or XJ.

 

[Janster]

….Larger tires aren’t new….. they just keep getting BIGGER!!!

Back when I was offroading…1999-2006 or so…. (pardon my memory)…. The Tacoma I’d owned (1999) came with 31” from the factory. Upgrading to 32’s was common (with smalll lift). Some guys would go with 33’s (with bigger lifts/body lift).

I have no clue what the YJ’s came with from factory (92/94)….. we had 33’s and then up to 35’s (4.5” lift, 1” body lift). Back then in the offroading world…. 33’s were common. Some folks had 35’s & what we considered **Rock Buggies** had 37’s……. and comp rigs went up from there (here in Pennsylvania, that is).

I’m amazed these days…. people put 40” tires on their daily drivers!!

 

[Alaska-HWY JK]

I ran 14/35/15” on my short box 1979 Sierra Classic GMC. Put them on in May of 1980. There were bigger trucks around then as well.

 

[Sweetums]

I've seen it mentioned on here as well as other forums that larger tires are relatively new on the scene, as in last couple decades (as in, 32" used to be considered large). Is that really the case? I grew up off-road in an off-roading community in South Florida where 44" was pretty damn common - but it's all mud / swamp / some sand. I didn't have YouTube back then to compare other areas of the world, but I just assumed that larger tires were common everywhere.

It depends how old you are, I remember when going up to a 33" tire was considered a big deal; now I see people daily driving Jeeps with 39"s. It also depends where you are, the South seems to have gone for larger tires way earlier due to the deep mud; here in the desert we were running 33"s for a lot longer because we could. The side-by-sides have chewed the trails up so badly that full size vehicles almost need 37"s just to drive the trails I used to do with a stock XJ back in the day.

 

[CrazyCooter]

I had a Blazer with 44's on it in the early 90's and it wasn't all that new then?

I do observe that people generally who aren't really wheelers are doing it more as a fashion statement these days. Waste of money, but whatever makes you feel good? I see people show up for the club events who don't wheel just to hang out with people that do?

 

[Artsifrtsi]

Our '05 TJ came from factory with 205/75/15, had to lift 3 1/2 inches to get the 33's on it. Even in '05 35's were really a large tire, that required a lot of work to fit and make the rig last. Full sized rigs back in the day would need a lift or trimming to fit 31's... I had a '79 Cherokee in the early 2k's running 40's with 13" of total lift (6 inches from spring over/shackle flip, 4 inch leafs, and 3 inch body)

 

[Rcoe]

Just larger and more common place in street driven vehicles.

My CJ late 80's on 33's which in Col. were large for the time.

TJ around 2004 on 35's I believe.

JK around 2017 on 37's which were not very common back then.

JL on 37's last year they look very large on a 2 door

JT current on 40's getting more common as these trucks can swallow some large tires.

 

[Zachanadandy]

Swamp buggies on tractor tires have been a thing for multiple decades. For trail rigs, especially ones that were still streetable 35s were big. Of course even the JK rubicons only came with 31s. It's all relative. A TJ needed 4" of lift to clear 35s. It also needed a regear to run them and then it wasn't good at freeway speeds. Now you can get an xr from the factory with 35s, clear 37s on it with little to no lift, and run 39s easily with 3.5" of lift. The 8 speed auto is so good that even 39s on those stock 4.56 gears is fine. It will still outcrawl any stock rig ever, hang with those built long arm, trailer only , low geared TJs, and cruise all day long on the freeway at 85mph. Better transmissions, bigger wheel openings, etc all make big tires easy and fully functional. No need for massive lifts and terrible cog that comes with it.

 

[D_JT]

20 years ago, you were a bad ass if you had 35"s. 37"s were extreme. Now you have vehicles rolling off the lot stock with 35"s. 42"s are the new 37" 35"s are the new 31"s. Look at old school K5 blazers. You had to do a 4" lift for a 33". You can "fit" 37"s on a stock Rubicon Gladiator.

 

[wchevron]

I put some 31's on my YJ back in '92. They were a bit too big and ended up rubbing grooves in the rubber fender arches. 30's would have fit better

 

[Janster]

20 years ago, you were a bad ass if you had 35"s. 37"s were extreme.

Exactly.... Luckily for me....... at the time, I was still young enough to pull my fat ass into the Jeep with 35's. Now? I'm on 33's and its perfect.....for these old legs/bones.

 

[imallcrawl]

20 years ago, you were a bad ass if you had 35"s...

Dang I must have been a bad ass then 35" Super Swampers on my 1984 CJ7 V8 Corvette Engine 30+ years ago (not my build)

 

[NC_Overland]

It depends how old you are, I remember when going up to a 33" tire was considered a big deal; now I see people daily driving Jeeps with 39"s. It also depends where you are, the South seems to have gone for larger tires way earlier due to the deep mud; here in the desert we were running 33"s for a lot longer because we could. The side-by-sides have chewed the trails up so badly that full size vehicles almost need 37"s just to drive the trails I used to do with a stock XJ back in the day.

My XJ had 235/75/15s, which is only a 29” tire iirc. That was normal in the 90s.

 

[Jteakus]

I graduated high school in '87. My CJ was on 35's. Several trucks on 44's, more on 40's more yet on 38's rolling around town, But, we are talking about Louisiana.

Sponsored